Steam of Life Trailer

In Finland, with its long, dark winters, the sauna is a national obsession whose benefits are as much emotional as physical. For the men in Steam of Life, the sauna is a place to come together and sweat out not only the grime of contemporary life, but also their grief, hopes, joys and memories. Beautifully and hauntingly shot, this acclaimed film provides an extraordinary glimpse into the lives of Finnish men and into the depths of the human experience.

From death on the streets of Crown Heights to director Steven Spielberg's controversial visit to a predominantly black high school in East Oakland, the film resists simple analysis and treads provocatively on the fault lines of racial coalition and conflict.